The first thing you need to know about professional web design is that both the cost and the craftsmanship can vary greatly between designers. This is why you should always review the work of designers instead of basing the decision solely on price.
In order to understand how web site design is costed it is useful to know the process of web design. An understanding of the web design process can also save you time, money and stress because you will know what the web designer expects from you at different times.
Designers should start by trying to understand what you want the site to achieve, who the site is for, what need it fills and any preferences you might have for the visual look and feel. During this stage you will likely have the most contact with the designers as they try to understand how they can best serve. An outcome of this stage is a sitemap a" a document describing what goes where in the website and how it links together.
The second stage in the web design process is to produce the visual design of the website. While this stage is going on, you should prepare for the next stage by gathering the material needed for the next stage. Cost during this stage should vary little from web site to web site.
After the visual aspects are complete you will be bringing it all together. During this stage the designers will need to implement you plan into the visual site, as well as put in any content that you want. During this stage there are often delays and additional costs so it is best, and cheapest, to prepare for it early. Remember, the more pages on your website the more this step will cost.
The final stage in the web design process is to take you finished website and open it to the public. For most websites this is relatively simple and often takes a single half day to a few days to complete.
There are a couple of other costs to keep in mind when shopping around, these are the ongoing prices of running a website. Most designers don't include these costs in their quotes so be sure to ask. The costs mainly come from domain name registration, which is buying the address that you website will be at, and from hosting the website. If you are unfamiliar with these it may be best to speak with your designer and have them recommend a service provider.
When you begin speaking with designers always be sure to let them know both your needs for the website as well as your budget. This will help the designers work with you to plan out the site, as well as let you know if everything you want is possible on the budget you have. If you have a large budget it may be good to make the hiring process as competitive as possible, just keep in min that you want to get all the quotes in writing. - 15246
In order to understand how web site design is costed it is useful to know the process of web design. An understanding of the web design process can also save you time, money and stress because you will know what the web designer expects from you at different times.
Designers should start by trying to understand what you want the site to achieve, who the site is for, what need it fills and any preferences you might have for the visual look and feel. During this stage you will likely have the most contact with the designers as they try to understand how they can best serve. An outcome of this stage is a sitemap a" a document describing what goes where in the website and how it links together.
The second stage in the web design process is to produce the visual design of the website. While this stage is going on, you should prepare for the next stage by gathering the material needed for the next stage. Cost during this stage should vary little from web site to web site.
After the visual aspects are complete you will be bringing it all together. During this stage the designers will need to implement you plan into the visual site, as well as put in any content that you want. During this stage there are often delays and additional costs so it is best, and cheapest, to prepare for it early. Remember, the more pages on your website the more this step will cost.
The final stage in the web design process is to take you finished website and open it to the public. For most websites this is relatively simple and often takes a single half day to a few days to complete.
There are a couple of other costs to keep in mind when shopping around, these are the ongoing prices of running a website. Most designers don't include these costs in their quotes so be sure to ask. The costs mainly come from domain name registration, which is buying the address that you website will be at, and from hosting the website. If you are unfamiliar with these it may be best to speak with your designer and have them recommend a service provider.
When you begin speaking with designers always be sure to let them know both your needs for the website as well as your budget. This will help the designers work with you to plan out the site, as well as let you know if everything you want is possible on the budget you have. If you have a large budget it may be good to make the hiring process as competitive as possible, just keep in min that you want to get all the quotes in writing. - 15246
About the Author:
Stephen Grisham, Sr. is a Staff Writer for InfoServe Media, a Houston web host company that provides custom web design. Visit today, or call 1 (800) 838-2203 for a free quote.
